The gift of giving:

Thursday

Nov 29, 2012 at 12:01 AM

In the wake of major storms like Hurricane Sandy or last year’s tornadoes, there is an understandable immediate need to help those most desperately affected. Similarly, throughout difficult financial times, people still find ways to help their neighbors who are worse off than themselves.

That impulse to come together, help one another, and improve our own communities is the cornerstone of society. When talking about "building community," most people know that a sense of service and giving back is a key part of being a good citizen.

That contribution need not be a sacrifice. In fact, the most engaged people note that you often get back more than you give, and there are plenty of ways you can help if a cash donation is outside your budget.

One of the most popular ways to give back is to volunteer your time at a local shelter or food bank. As we head into the holidays, these organizations are facing their busy season, so they would certainly welcome the extra set of hands. To find a group that needs help, you can contact your local town hall, schools, libraries or religious institutions to find out if they have or know of any volunteer opportunities you could participate in. You can also connect with volunteer search services such as Network for Good, Volunteer Match and 1-800-Volunteer to help locate charities in your community that you might want to work with.

Of course, the need for volunteers doesn’t end at New Years, so hopefully you will find an organization that you’ll want to work with year-round.

"Building community" extends to more than just helping the less fortunate. Connecting with a cause that is near and dear to your heart will help keep you involved for the long-term. The municipal, school and religious institutions we mentioned typically have a list of a wide range of charitable organizations, which have a variety of missions to help make our region a better place to live and to work.

You might prefer to work with a group that helps veterans or military families, as a way to thank local veterans for their service to our country. Perhaps helping those who are mentally challenged live meaningful, independent lives is an important cause to you. Or you may choose to expand your reach internationally to ensure people in the developing world have access to clean water, healthy food and life-saving medicines that we are so fortunate to have.

Whatever the cause is that you choose, if it inspires you to give more of yourself and to help others, you can experience the rewards that come from community building and being a caring individual.